Torture & the Church

“Torture is therefore an ecclesiological problem, to do with the church’s nature as a communal body. The church cannot confront the torture system simply by treating it as a violation of any individual’s human rights. From the church’s point of view, torture should be read as aspiring to the disappearance of the visible body of Christ. The techniques of invisibility which the secret police structure perfected were capable of fragmenting the church body while depriving the church of martyrs, visible witnesses to the conflict between the church and the powers of the world. The bodies of the martyrs make the church visible as the body of Christ. The church does not seek martyrdom; to do so would be to invite oppressors to sin, which would be a grave sin in itself. The church also does not recognize all victims as ipso facto martyrs. The church does, however, celebrate certain people as martyrs, for they make visible the community of Christ’s followers. Martyrdom is never a goal, but the church knows that as the body of Christ it will inevitably come into conflict with the disciplines of the principalities and powers.” –William Cavanaugh, Torture and Eucharist, (p 70-71).